I Am Not Persuading Alia To Switch Political Parties – Maku

A former Minister of Information, Labaran Maku, has denied claims that he is planning to facilitate the defection of Governor Hyacinth Alia from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Alia sparked fresh defection rumours following reports that he had engaged Maku, a member of the PDP, into his media team.

However, in a statement on Wednesday, Maku denied the claim, describing his participation in the recent Good Governance Tour of development projects in Benue State as completely apolitical.

He insisted that the visit to the state did not involve persuading the governor to defect to the PDP

The statement reads in part, “The Good Governance Tour is a professional effort designed to shift the focus of political leaders – across all parties and at all levels – away from endless political quarrels towards the urgent need for development and service delivery, particularly to the grassroots,” 

He explained that the concept is not new, adding that it began during his time as Minister of Information when he initiated the National Good Governance Tour as a non-partisan platform for assessing and showcasing the development efforts of incumbent leaders across the country.

“We have approached political leaders across party lines, requesting permission to assess and showcase their projects and policies. A number of them have responded positively. The Governor of Benue State, Rev (Dr) Hyacinth Alia, happened to be the first to officially invite us to tour his state.

“The Governance Tour of Benue was conducted transparently and broadcast across multiple media platforms. It included a lively town hall where citizens directly engaged the government, asked tough questions, and received honest answers on development and security efforts.

“We have since received a wave of positive feedback from citizens across Nigeria, many of whom are urging us to bring the good governance tour to their own states. The widespread enthusiasm underscores the importance of what we are doing.

“Let me be clear: No part of our mission to Benue State involved persuading Governor Alia to switch political parties. That narrative is absolute fiction. Those who know him understand that he is not driven by desperation for 2027, but by a burning desire to serve,” he added.